A 17-YEAR-OLD girl, who was found murdered in an alley in Bolton, is believed to have been working as a prostitute.

Carly Bateman was strangled and dumped in a passageway off Crawford Avenue, the Haulgh, on Saturday night.

Miss Bateman, who lived in the Bolton area, was discovered in the early hours of Sunday.

It is understood that she was under the care of Bolton Social Services which has launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to her murder.

A source told the BEN that the teenager worked as a prostitute to feed her drug habit.

He said: "Every time she was picked up by the police, the emergency social services team was called and she was taken back home again.

"Within half an hour she was back on the streets again.

"I believe at the time of her death, she didn't have an allocated social worker.

"There was talk about finding her secure accommodation so she couldn't get back on the streets."

A Bolton Council spokesman said: "The social services department did know the young woman.

"All the agencies involved will be looking at the circumstances leading up to her death."

A post mortem examination carried out yesterday confirmed she died from compression injuries to her neck.

Shocked residents living in nearby Crawford Avenue and Bromwich Street were woken about 4am by police carrying out door-to-door inquiries. Crawford Avenue and the alleyway were cordoned off yesterday while scenes of crime and forensic scientists made a finger-tip search of the area.

The body of the teenager, who is originally from Yorkshire, was found close to the red-light district where many prostitutes either tout for business or live in bed-sit accommodation.

Residents have repeatedly complained about women walking the streets and punters kerb-crawling at night.

Detectives are desperate to trace the last movements of Carly before her death and are appealing for anyone who saw her on Saturday night or saw anything suspicious to come forward.

Her murder is not being linked to the discovery of a man's badly burned body on moorland in Bolton on Sunday morning.

Det Supt Vincent Petrykowski, who is leading the investigation said: "This is a tragic waste of a young life.

"Carly was just 17-years-old and had her whole life ahead of her.

"It is vital that anyone who can help help catch her killers comes forward and speaks to the police.

"I would also like to reassure people in Bolton that we will catch whoever is responsible."

The alley, where the body was found, is a dead end and runs behind several of the houses in Crawford Avenue and Bromwich Street.

Residents claimed they are too frightened to use the passageway because of the lack of lighting.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said: "We have been trying for a long time to get something done about that alleyway."

Another resident added: "The back street is used for all sorts of goings on."

Anyone with information should call the incident room on 0161 856 5640.